Archive for the ‘feature articles’ Category
Thursday, March 24th, 2011
Kathleen Cuneo, PhD, understands that nourishing a healthy family involves more than just food. The psychologist and busy mom of three daughters recently launched a new service for parents seeking support and education about raising a healthy family.
KitchenTableParents.com offers a manageable “recipe” for peaceful, meaningful family connections, including parenting strategies for raising happy, compassionate kids.
“I wanted to apply my knowledge as a psychologist and a mom to help families who were struggling to get family meals together. As a psychologist, I know that family meals are valuable for children’s development, but as a mom, I constantly see families struggle to make this a reality,” Dr. Cuneo explained.
“I offer strategies to help with picky eaters and other obstacles to family meals. But I also don’t want people to focus so much on the meal that they lose sight of other important parenting and family issues,” she continued.
Dr. Cuneo surveyed other parents to determine topics of interest, and found that people were searching for written and audio materials, and other resources to help them raise children who are healthy eaters, cooperative siblings, and happy, caring kids.
Her new endeavor focuses on meals as a context for families to come together and promote
positive family interactions.
Dr. Cuneo is excited about the new site, which will give parents support and education in addition to recipes and meal plans. Her goal is to provide parents with valuable information that they want, helping them feel more confident and self-assured in their parenting.
“My top piece of parenting advice is to make family dinners a priority. This is just as important as all of the other activities kids are involved in,” Dr. Cuneo explained. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be dinner, though. You can be flexible about when you spend quality time together, but make this family time a priority.”
Dr. Cuneo, who is based in Nanuet, NY, said that her three daughters are involved with many activities, so sometimes, it’s just not possible to all eat dinner as a family. But she does have dinner with whichever children are home each night, and makes sure to prioritize family time on a regular basis.
In addition to family mealtimes, Dr. Cuneo’s family bonds over seeing plays together, supporting her daughters in their performances and sports, and watching the TV show Glee as a family.
SPECIAL OFFER: Dr. Cuneo will be offering five, free 30-minute private phone consultations this month for parents to discuss their most burning parenting questions and/or feeding challenges. Five Premium Members will be randomly selected from all registered Premium Members for this offer on April 18, 2011. For more information, visit www.kitchentableparents.com/information.
Tags: Kathleen Cuneo, Kitchen Table Parents
Monday, February 21st, 2011
The two highest producers at Cruise Planners American Express Travel Services last year are new to the travel industry – one is a stay-at-home mom, the other used to own a gift shop. The company’s other success stories include former teachers and even a former CIA agent.
“Many of our most successful team members had no prior travel industry experience. They were looking to pursue a hobby, or looking for part-time work for supplemental income,” said Dan Hicks of Cruise Planners American Express Travel Services.
“They joined our team, received comprehensive training, and now enjoy huge benefits, including flexibility, the convenience of working from home and lucrative earning potential,” Hicks continued.
Cruise Planners’ agents make the top commissions in the industry, due to the company’s stellar reputation, strong partnerships, high sales volumes and extraordinary customer service. In fact, those qualities also led to Cruise Planners winning the most prestigious industry awards from every major cruise line, including Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Celebrity Cruise Lines.
Cruise Planners is an American Express partner, which adds significant credibility and brand recognition.
The company hopes to recruit more mothers to their franchise team. Cruise Planners was founded by – and still chaired by – a woman, formerly a stay-at-home-mom. She vowed to build a flexible, fun company that gave people jobs, and now the company has 760 successful franchises.
One of the biggest benefits for newcomers is the company’s inexpensive franchise fees, which are tiered depending on experience levels. Experienced agents that hit certain benchmarks don’t pay any franchise fees. People with less – or no – experience still pay extremely low fees, which include comprehensive training, an all-expenses paid trip to Florida, certifications, travel agent associations and their first year’s insurance.
This is the best time to launch a career in the travel industry, according to Hicks. Regardless of the economy, people still want to go on vacations, and all-inclusive cruise prices are as low as $50/day.
The company expertly handles all types of travel – not just cruises. Their agents can coordinate everything from a trip to Disney World to an African safari. They also develop creative travel packages – such as a Beatles-themed cruise and a trip to Italy for wine enthusiasts.
Hicks encourages people who are considering a home-based business model to explore the exciting possibilities with Cruise Planners.
For more information, visit www.cruiseplannersfranchise.com and become a fan on Facebook.
Tags: Cruise Planners American Express Travel Services
Tuesday, January 25th, 2011
Six figure business coach Barb Wade has a mission – to empower other coaches to help change people’s lives while making a $100,000+ salary in the process. Wade teaches these coaches how to attract and enroll clients, and how to ask for – and get – competitive rates. By creating multiple streams of income from their coaching practices, Wade’s clients work 20 hours per week or fewer, and still earn impressive six figure salaries.
“It’s all about the math,” Wade explained. “If you have a few coaching packages at competitive rates, and serve about a dozen clients, you’ll earn six figures and still have time to market your company.”
Wade started her career as a life coach, helping people manifest their goals and dreams and have purpose and meaning in their lives. She built a successful practice with a full roster of clients and a six-figure salary. Soon, other coaches started asking for her advice about how to fill their own practices and make lucrative salaries. Organically, she began coaching the coaches.
Wade strongly believes that every entrepreneur should have a business coach.
“I’ve had my own coach the entire time I’ve been an entrepreneur, and it has expedited my success exponentially. A coach can save you so much time and money, and help you avoid many potential mistakes. They can tell you exactly what works and what doesn’t,” Wade continued. “The right coach can really catapult your success at a pace you can’t achieve alone.”
The Fort Collins, Colorado-based mother of two young daughters has created a healthy, balanced work-home life by creating defined work hours and a work space. When she’s at work, she focuses on work, but when she’s with her family, it’s “mommy time”.
“Be fully present wherever you are,” Wade said. “Don’t think about work when you’re with your kids, and don’t worry about your kids when you’re at work.”
Wade joined The Mom Entrepreneur Support Group eight months ago, and enjoys participating in the discussion groups.
“You’re able to create such intimate relationships sharing your challenges and providing feedback. The discussion groups make you feel like you’re not alone – we’re all in it together,” Wade continued.
Wade, who created her company in 2000, works with clients globally, via telephone and Skype.
For more information – and to access a FREE, downloadable “How to Get Clients” Kit, which includes a special report, video series and e-zine, please visit her website, www.BarbWade.com.
You can also check her out at The Mom Entrepreneur Co-op Shop.
Tags: Barb Wade, business coach, six-figure salary
Tuesday, January 18th, 2011
Lisa D’Astuto, an entrepreneur with Votre Vu, a high-end, spa quality French skin care line, believes the key to happiness is knowing when to say “no”.
The busy mom, who oversees a team of more than 50 Votre Vu representatives nationwide, keeps detailed lists of what she needs to accomplish each day, week and month, eliminating the things “that just aren’t necessary”.
“I always think about what’s important and try not to worry about things that aren’t,” she explained.
The New Jersey-based mother of two teenage sons stays actively involved in her boys’ lives, supervising their activities and making sure they stay out of trouble.
“It’s especially important to be around for older kids – when you can be a positive influence on their life,” D’Astuto explained.
But she also wanted a challenging and rewarding career that leveraged her fashion-buyer background, her outgoing personality and her determination.
D’Astuto, previously a fashion buyer, has been home with her boys since they were born. She spearheaded volunteer efforts for her boys’ school, and then got involved with direct sales.
Prior to joining Votre Vu, D’Astuto started working for another skin care line, but grew frustrated at that company’s “one-size-fits-all” approach. Her clients were not seeing the results they wanted and, as a result, D’Astuto was not earning the money that she hoped.
In August 2008, D’Astuto followed her gut.
“I wasn’t happy at my former company and had a good feeling about Votre Vu. I did my research and decided to make the leap,” D’Astuto explained. “I believed that Votre Vu’s products were better quality, which would give my clients better results and, ultimately, be more profitable.”
Now, D’Astuto proudly represents Votre Vu, which offers high-end, natural skin care products at mid-level price points. Votre Vu’s custom products are handcrafted in France and include natural skin, hair and body care products, and an award-winning beverage line. The entire line is a fraction of the cost of department store products.
She enjoys the company’s direct selling network marketing model that allows her team to work directly with clients. Votre Vu is available 24/7 online and through independent consultants like Lisa D’Astuto.
D’Astuto has found a healthy work-life balance: she is able to work while her sons are at school, and be there to bake them cookies when they come home.
For more information, visit www.votrevu.com/joinourteam or contact D’Astuto at Frenchskincare@gmail.com, on Facebook or Twitter.
You can also check her out at The Mom Entrepreneur Co-op Shop.
Tags: Lisa D'Astuto, Votre Vu
Tuesday, December 14th, 2010
Susan Howson, MA, CPCC, CHBC, creates magnificent days for clients of all ages. Through her company, Magnificent Creations Limitee, she helps children and adults increase their self-esteem, self-awareness and magnificence.
“It’s all about increasing the self-esteem of the world, focusing on what we want versus what we don’t want,” Howson explained.
Toronto-based Howson, an award-winning life coach, provides training, products and services that promote magnificence.
In addition to offering coaching services and training to clients around the world, Howson offers a line of products that reinforce magnificence, helping people tap into magnificent part of who they are.
Howson, who currently offers affirmation cards and audio CDs, is expanding her product line to include
“everything that can remind kids of their magnificence,” including a clothing line, knapsacks, books, pencils, shoelaces and more.
“I want to surround kids with messages of their magnificence. They might not hear these messages in their daily lives, so now they’ll be able to see it even if they’re not hearing it, which makes a deep impact,” she explained.
According to Howson, many kids focus on what they are doing, rather than who they are being. Parents can support their kids by asking their children what makes their heart sing, what’s important to them and what they value, rather than expecting them to know what they want to do when they grow up, or expect them to become what a parent wants.
Howson said the key to raising a confident child is to believe in everything that they are, and engage them in deep, heartfelt conversations about what’s important to them. Encourage them to take risks and know that not everything is going to work, and explain – without judgment – that they can learn from every experience. Her award-winning Kids Coaching Connection program emphasizes these points from a coaching perspective.
Howson also works with adults, including those going through a “mid-life wake up call”. As part of her efforts, her clients develop deeper, more meaningful relationships with themselves and their families.
Some of her clients struggle with major life changes, including illness or divorce.
She explains that things happen to us all that change the course of our life, and she reminds her clients about the importance of perspective.
As a magnificence coach, Howson helps people foster a positive sense of self esteem, believe in their own success, communicate well, organize themselves to achieve their dreams, and become more self-aware.
For more information, visit www.magnificentcreations.com.
Tags: Magnificent Creations Limitee, Susan Howson
Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010
Professional artist Ellen McCaleb’s company, GrowthChartArt, is poised for big growth.
When McCaleb’s two children were very young, she started tracking their growth on the doorjamb by her living room, unaware at the time that the woodwork in her old New England home was covered in lead paint. Before renovating, she copied her kids’ measurements from over the years and searched online for an attractive growth chart that could go in the same area.
Unable to find something that complimented her décor – the only options available were too juvenile for her taste – she had an inspired, unique business idea.
“I’m sure many women don’t want to display a Winnie the Pooh-themed growth chart in their living
rooms, and they’d prefer more sophisticated options, like an antique ski – something that doubles as decor,” McCaleb explained. “I also wanted to create something portable that could be moved to a new house.”
McCaleb was already working a “day job,” running her custom trophy fish carving business, but she saw a need for lovely, artistic growth charts and started GrowthChartArt earlier this year.
She decided to start a business focusing on children’s products because, despite the economic downturn, people still buy special things for their children. Her products are meant to be precious – yet affordable – heirlooms for families to buy for themselves or to give as unique gifts.
“I knew it was a great idea and if I didn’t start this business, someone else would,” she added.
Her best sellers include the antique ski, antique baseball bat, and a tree with mama and baby bears.
She also produces an American flag growth chart, and is donating 40% of these proceeds to Freedom is Not Free, a non-profit organization that supports military families.
“Kids grow so much while their loved ones are deployed overseas,” McCaleb explained, adding that her customer can track the children’s growth and share the chart once their family is reunited.
GrowthChartArt has taken great care in designing a product that’s good for your home and the environment. Their wooden growth charts are handcrafted in New Hampshire of soy-based inks and US sourced no-formaldehyde plywood. These growth charts are built to last more than one lifetime – the inks will not fade and the surface can withstand scrubbing.
The Barrington, NH entrepreneur is offering free personalization or free shipping for Co-op Shop visitors through December 31st. Promo codes: FreeShipTME or PersonalizeIT. Offers cannot be combined.
For more information, visit www.growthchartart.com.
Tags: Ellen McCaleb, Growth Chart Art, growth charts
Tuesday, November 16th, 2010
Lanae Paaverud, owner of OldWorldLimited.com, has built a successful, online retail store that only carries products she’s passionate about.
“People might wonder why we sell certain things. We select our categories and products based on things our family likes, and we only carry the highest-quality items,” Paaverud explained.
A key differentiator from other online retailers is that OldWorldLimited offers “Old Fashioned Service…New Fashioned Speed!” Paaverud personally responds to every inquiry, ships out orders within 24-48 hours and even includes handwritten notes with each shipment.
“Customer service is really important to me. If there’s an issue with a product or shipment, I always make it right. We strive to provide the best prices and the best service,” she continued. “And customer response has been great.”
Some of Paaverud’s favorite things include Jerry Garcia neckwear because she has “always liked sharp-looking guys in fashionable ties.” This is one of the hottest sellers on her site.
Also popular – the line of Life is Crap t-shirts, which she carries because her family thought they were funny and that it would be “a good way to spread some humor around.”
OldWorldLimited offers fun, eclectic gifts for men, women and pets, including apparel, sunglasses, soaps and a top-quality line of dog gear. In preparation for the holidays, Paaverud is running special incentives through the end of November. She provides gift cards and gift boxing options for select items.
Paaverud launched OldWorldLimited in April, 2007 and has promoted it through online efforts. She also enjoys significant traffic from word-of-mouth referrals, and has many repeat customers.
Paaverud also owns and operates the Social Networking Nanny, which helps people harness the tremendous power of online networking. Through this company, she teaches people how to leverage online tools, like Facebook and Twitter, to increase awareness and sales for their businesses. And, of course, she uses social marketing to drive traffic to her online store, as well.
In addition to running two successful businesses, Paaverud is dedicated to community service, and regularly supports Relay for Life to honor her parents, who have both battled cancer. Her family is also actively involved with Toys for Tots, and has spearheaded toy collection efforts, both online and in her Minnesota community.
“I hope to be a great role model for my kids,” she explained. As a strong, successful businesswoman – and a devoted, passionate volunteer – she certainly is.
For more information, visit www.OldWorldLimited.com.
Tags: holiday shopping, Old World Limited, online shopping
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